Daylight Saving Time 2026: How to Adjust Your Sleep

In the US and Canada, daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when 2:00 a.m. becomes 1:00 a.m. In the UK and EU, the clocks go back a week earlier, on Sunday, October 25, 2026. To adjust, go to bed and wake up 15 minutes later each day for the 4 nights before, and get bright light in the late afternoon.

Falling back gives you an extra hour on paper, but your body clock doesn't move with the clock on the wall. For a few days, 6:00 a.m. feels like 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. feels like 11:00 p.m. Here's how to shift faster, and how to handle the spring change in March.

Time Change Dates for 2026 and 2027

Most of Arizona, Hawaii, most of Saskatchewan and Yukon don't change their clocks.

What the Time Change Does to Your Sleep

Your body clock is set mostly by light, and it takes a few days to catch up with a new schedule.

• In the fall, you tend to wake up too early, often around 5:00 or 5:30 a.m., and feel sleepy early in the evening. Early risers and young children notice it most.
• In the spring, you lose an hour of sleep the first night, then spend several days trying to fall asleep at a time your body thinks is too early. This is the harder change. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine links it to sleep loss and a rise in fatal car crashes in the days that follow, and supports moving to permanent standard time.

How to Adjust When the Clocks Go Back (Fall)

Start on the Wednesday before the change and move your whole night 15 minutes later each day. Here's the plan for someone who usually sleeps from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. in the US:

By Sunday morning you're waking at your usual 6:30 a.m. on the new clock, and Sunday night's 10:30 p.m. bedtime feels normal. In the UK and EU, run the same plan a week earlier, starting Wednesday, October 21.

If your mornings are fixed by work or school, shift only your bedtime and use the tips below.

• Get light late in the day. Afternoon and early-evening light pushes your body clock later, which is what you need in the fall. A walk after work counts.
• Keep the first mornings dim. If you wake at 5:00 a.m., don't open the curtains right away. Bright light that early pulls your clock earlier again.
• Keep naps short. If Sunday afternoon drags, a 10 to 20 minute power nap helps without ruining your night.
• Move meals and kids' bedtimes too. Shifting dinner and children's routines by 15 minutes a day helps the whole household adjust at the same pace.

How to Adjust When the Clocks Go Forward (Spring)

Run the plan in reverse: go to bed and wake up 15 minutes earlier each day, starting 4 days before the change (Wednesday, March 10, 2027 in the US, or Wednesday, March 24 in the UK and EU).

• Get bright light right after waking. Open the curtains or step outside. Morning light moves your body clock earlier.
• Dim lights and screens in the last hour before bed.
• Stop caffeine by early afternoon, since falling asleep an hour early is already hard.
• Expect the first Monday to be the worst. If you can, avoid an early drive that morning.

Will My Phone Alarm Go Off at the Right Time?

Yes, as long as your phone sets its time automatically. On iPhone, check Settings > General > Date & Time and make sure Set Automatically is on. On Android, look for Automatic date and time in Settings (the exact menu depends on your phone's brand).

An alarm set for a clock time, like 6:30 a.m., then rings at 6:30 a.m. on the new time. Many older alarm clocks, ovens and car clocks don't update, so don't rely on them that first morning.

Pick Bedtimes That Fit Your Sleep Cycles

While you shift, choose bedtimes that let you wake at the end of a 90-minute sleep cycle instead of in the middle of one. Our sleep calculator works it out for any wake-up time. If your schedule was off before the clocks changed, our guide on how to fix your sleep schedule covers a longer reset.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do we gain or lose an hour in November?

You gain one. The clocks go back from 2:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., so the night of Saturday, October 31 is an hour longer in the US and Canada.

Why do I wake up an hour early after the clocks go back?

Your body is still on summer time, so 5:30 a.m. on the new clock feels like 6:30 a.m. Shift your schedule 15 minutes a day, avoid bright light in the very early morning and get light in the evening. Most people settle within a few days to a week.

How long does it take to adjust to the time change?

Usually a few days to a week. The spring change tends to take longer than the fall one, because losing an hour is harder on your body than gaining one.

Do I need to change the time on my phone?

No. If automatic date and time is on, your phone updates at the moment the clocks change, and your alarms follow the new time.

Let Your Alarm Do Part of the Work

FixSleep suggests wake-up times that land at the end of a 90-minute sleep cycle, and its bedtime reminders tell you when to start winding down, which makes a 15-minute-a-day shift easier to stick to. When the darker mornings of March make getting up harder, its mission alarms make you solve math problems, scan a QR code in another room or walk a set number of steps before the alarm stops.

Download FixSleep on the App Store or Google Play.